Evaporator



F. J. RINDERER EVAPORATOR July 2, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22, 1954 Francis J. R/nderer INVENTOR. Q0627. BY @ww M Auomrys F. J. RINDERER EVAPORATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY youqvM and July 2, 1957 Filed June 22 1954 Fig.2

United States PatentOfilice 2,797,747 Patented July 2, 1957 This invention relates to laboratory equipment, and more particularly to a novel evaporator for fluids.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of an evaporator which is capable of evaporating a great variety of liquids and solvents under controlled conditions swiftly, smoothly and substantially silently.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an evaporator which is vacuum sealed so as to eliminate spark danger when evaporating volatile of inflammable liquids. Further, the evaporator comprising the present invention can generally be used with substantially all organic solvents, as well as many inorganic liquids, including corrosive compounds and mixtures. This is because the evaporator itself is constructed from generally corrosive resistant metals, such as stainless steel or other suitable alloys, tefion or other suitable plastic. Further, the sealing rings utilized may be those which will resist attack by the liquid being evaporated.

Still further objects of this invention reside in the provision of an evaporator which operates without bumping and frothing, which is strong and durable, simple in construction and manufacture, and capable of evaporating solvents or liquids at a relatively high speed due to the action on a thin film of solvent clinging to the upper part of the rotating flask while also providing a stirring action due to the rotation of the flask.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this evaporator, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the evaporator comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating the construction of the body and the sleeve and associated parts of the evaporator;

Figure 3 is a sectional view as taken along the plane of line 3-3 in Figure 2, illustrating the connection between the sleeve, the body and the exhaust tube;

Figure 4 is an end view of the sleeve; and

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the sleeve.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral generally designates the evaporator comprising the present invention. The evaporator 10 includes a stand 12 having a standard 14 rising therefrom about which a clamping element 16 is adapted to be vertically adjustably secured by means of a screw clamping element 18. Angularly adjustably secured Within the confines of the clamp 16 is an arm 20. The position of the arm 20 may be adjusted utilizing the threaded fastener 22.

The arm 20 has a threaded end portion 24 which is threadedly engaged in a threaded recess 26 in an adapter 28. A taper pin 30 is used to lockingly hold the arm 20 O-ring-sealing rings'50 and 52 of any suitable material,

to theadapter 28. The adapter 28 is hollow and within the recess32 therein and held in place by means of fastener 34 is the body 36of this evaporator. The body 36 isprovided with an aperture 38 therethrough, and the ends of-the body 36 have enlarged bores, as at 40 and 42 for reception of a pair of L-shaped bearings44 and 46 therein. The L-shaped bearings form the journal mounting for a rotating sleeve 48. Between the sleeve 48 and -the body 36 and adapted to provide a seal in order to prevent fluid from passing to the bearings '44 and-46 are such as rubber, neopreneor the like, dependent upon the characteristics of the fluid being evaporated.

The rotating sleeve 48 is provided 'witha conically tapered end portion 54 which has a shoulder 56 forming a seat for the bearing 46. Further, the sleeve 48 is hollow, having an enlarged recess-58'which communicates with. an'opening 60 therein, the opening 60 being exhaust tube may be of a tapering conical conformation.

The adapter 28 is detachably secured by means of setscrew 66 to the shaft housing 68 of a motor 70. Within the shaft housing 68, there is rotatably mounted a drive shaft72 which extends into a shallow recess 74 in the inner end of the sleeve 48. The sleeve 48 terminates in an inwardly projecting tongue 76 which is adapted to seat within a slot 78 in a collar 80 secured to the shaft 72 by means of a setscrew 82. Holding the bearing 44 in position is a collar 84 lockingly secured to the sleeve 36 by means of setscrew 86.

The evaporator 10 has a flask having a tapering neck portion 92 secured over the tapered portion 54 of the rotating sleeve 48. Therefore, upon rotation of the sleeve 48 by the motor 70, the flask 90 will be rotated. A suitable conduit may be connected to the discharge tube 64, if desired.

The evaporator is mounted on the stand 12 so that the rotating sleeve 48 is tilted at an angle of about 30 degrees with the horizontal. The flask 90 is preferably round-bottomed and about twice the volume of the volume of the solution to be evaporated. The discharge tube 64 is connected to a vacuum inducing mechanism through a stopcock. Then starting the motor 70, and opening the stopcock (not shown) to the discharge tube 64, the sleeve 48 will be rotated, thus rotating the flask 90 causing the fluid to rise partially within the neck 92, permitting a greater surface area of the solvent to become exposed, thus increasing the rate of evaporation while constantly mixing the contents of the flask 90 without bubbling or frothing, due to the centrifugal action of the rotation of the flask 90.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An apparatus of the type disclosed comprising a body, a hollow rotating sleeve journaled in said body, said sleeve having a tapered outer end for wedgingly receiving a flask, a flask detachably secured on the tapered outer end of said sleeve, an exhaust tube secured in said body, an opening in said sleeve communicating with said exhaust tube, a motor having a drive shaft, an adapter attaching said motor to said body, sealing rings between said sleeve and said body, a tongue on the inner end of said sleeve, a recess in said tongue and extending inwardly of the inner end of said sleeve, said shaft extending into said recess, a collar secured on said shaft, a slot in said collar, said tongue extending into said slot, an arm secured to said adapter, a stand, and clamp means engaging said arm securing said body to said stand tilted at a substantially thirty degree angle from horizontal.

2. An apparatus of the type disclosed comprising a body, a hollow rotating sleeve journaled in said body, said sleeve having a tapered outer end for wedgingly receiving a flask, a flask detachably secured on said tapered outer end of said sleeve, an exhaust tube secured in said body, an opening in said sleeve communicating with said exhaust tube, a motor having a drive shaft, an adapter attaching said motor to said body, a releasable connecting means inter-. engaging said drive shaft with said sleeve, said releasable connecting means comprising a tongue on the inner end of said sleeve, a recess in said tongue and extending inwardly of the inner end of said sleeve, said shaft extending into said recess, a collar secured on said shaft, a slot in said collar, said tongue extending into said slot.

3. An apparatus of the type disclosed comprising a body, a hollow rotating sleeve journaled in said body, said sleeve having a tapered outer end for wedgingly receiving a flask, a flask detachably secured on said tapered outer end of said sleeve, an exhaust tube secured in said body, an opening in said sleeve communicating with said exhaust tube, a motor having a drive shaft, an adapter attaching said motor to said body, and a releasable connecting means interengaging said drive shaft with said sleeve, said releasable connecting means comprising a tongue on the inner end of said sleeve, a recess in said tongue and extending inwardly of the inner end of said sleeve, said shaft extending into said recess, a collar secured on said shaft, a slot in said collar, said tongue extending into said slot, an arm secured to said adapter, a stand, and clamp means engaging said arm securing said body to said stand tilted at a substantially thirty degree angle from horizontal.

References (Zited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 557,300 Barber Mar. 31, 1896 1,398,263 Hale Nov. 29, 1921 1,704,053 Miller Mar. 5, 1929 2,049,343 Warren July 28, 1936 2,170,036 Schumann Aug. 22, 1939 2,251,457 Lee Aug. 5, 1941 2,419,905 Meiss Apr. 29, 1947 2,575,688 Smith Nov. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 440,770 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1936 509,467 Germany Oct. 8, 1930 1 OTHER REFERENCES Modern Laboratory Appliances (Eimer and Amend), Fisher Scientific Company, copyright 1942, pp. 209 (Q 185F53, 1942). 

